Leadership lessons from the church

The Methodist Church started in Nigeria on September 24, 1842, more than 170 years ago. The Roman Catholic Church has been around for more than 2000 years. Leadership experts have always pondered the question as to how and why, beyond the issue of spiritual anchor, these two organizations have survived challenges that other organizations did not survive. How have they been able to survive a world order where the constant is change? How did they survive countless insurrections and revolutions? How did they survive the world wars? How did they survive Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and other dictators?

What leadership lessons can political leaders and other churches in Nigeria draw from their longevity?

The critical lessons are embodied in the recent elections of the leadership of the two Christian organizations. In 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the new Supreme Pontiff of Roman Catholic Church following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. On September 1, His Grace, Most Rev. S.C.K. Uche, the Archbishop of Enugu was elected as Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria to take over from his Eminence, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde.

The first survival lesson is that the Methodist Church and the Roman Catholic Church, by conducting successful leadership transition processes, confirmed that they have truly matured into non-personalized institutions that are bigger than their individual members. Lesson number two is that the transition processes are built around enduring constitutions or procedures that are not subjected to whims and caprice of individuals.

The election of the new Prelate of Methodist church was done by an Electoral College that relied on section 470 sub-section 3 of the constitution of the church. Pope Francis was elected by a conclave of 203 cardinals from 69 countries. It is near impossible for individuals, however powerful, to bend or tinker with the transition processes of the two Churches. Even the Pope as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church seldom tempers with the laid down meticulous processes of electing a new Pope.

The third critical lesson is that election of new leaders in these churches, despite being political democratic processes, are deeply anchored on the strong spiritual foundation that the emergence of any leader is always a manifestation of fulfillment of divine will of God. Both churches emphasize guidance by the Holy Spirit. The emphasis revolves around the doctrine that God appoints specific leaders to fulfill His Mission at specific periods in history.

Both churches have demonstrated over and over that survival or extinction rests with leadership question. Once the leadership issue is successfully addressed, the organization survives and moves forward. This lesson is of critical importance on the effort to build enduring institutional framework in Nigeria. To establish sustainable institution requires that the leadership question be successfully settled. The world is littered with stories of countries, organizations, churches and institutions that failed on the altar of shaky leadership processes.

Lesson number four flows the transparent and due process nature of electing the new leaders. Both churches reached deep down to bring forth leaders that are well prepared to confront current realities and challenges irrespective of where they come from. Pope Francis is the First pope from Latin America. The impact is already obvious. In just seven months in office, he has succeeded in navigating attention away from the crippling scandals of priestly sexual abuses in the Catholic churches to the core value of church which is social justice.

Archbishop Uche as Prelate elect has already made history as the first Prelate of Methodist Church from the South-east geopolitical zone of Nigeria. He was ordained Priest in 1982, became a Presbyter in 1990, elected Bishop in 1998 and Archbishop in 2009. He has held leadership positions within and outside the church including chairmanship of Christian Association of Nigeria, Kano State and membership of Imo State Secondary Education Management Board.

The important lesson here, especially for Nigerian political leaders, is that in choosing new leaders to confront current and future challenges, the institutions of Methodist and Catholic churches did not pigeon hole their scope and span of choice to particular geopolitical areas, regions, race or ethnic group. They spread their net far and wide and allowed God to make His choice. Elections or no elections, both churches understand that God neither holds nor depends on popular votes. If he does, Saul would never have become Paul and Saint Peter would probably never have become the first Pope.

The fifth important lesson is that the choice of new leaders inevitably comes with some degree of controversy. Some Roman Catholics hold the view that a Jesuit should never have been elected pope. The Jesuits were a militant order founded in 16th century by Basque soldier Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The leader of the Jesuits is referred to as Father General. Just before the convening of the conclave that elected him Pope, Cardinal Bergoglio celebrated his 55th year as a Jesuit. No Jesuit had even been pope. He is the first. This school of thought also believe that a Cardinal reputed to have cooked his own meals, rode public transport to work, paid his own hotel bills, gets his own coffee from vending machines should never have been made pope. They believe that he will compromise the aura and dignity of the Pontificate. That the Pope washed the feet of an imprisoned non-Catholic Serbian felon during the traditional washing of feet during the holy week and gives ordinary people rides in his Popemobile have added fuel to the controversy.

In the case of Prelate S.C.K Uche, there have been remarks to that his election breached some constitutional provisions. The leadership lesson is on how the post election controversies are handled.

The matter is neatly handled in the Catholic Church. Anything that happened in the conclave during election of a new Pope is a matter of utmost secrecy. All Cardinals, members of the election conclave and all staff associated with the processes swear to oath of perpetual secrecy. Once the white smoke announces the birth of a new pope to the world, all controversies related to the election are regarded as academic exercises and personal opinions. Most importantly, all issues, real or imagined, are regarded as family disagreement and treated as such. No member of the conclave comes out to circulate press statements on whether or not he agrees with the result of the voting or the process that led to the emergence of the Pope.

It is unthinkable that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will one day circulate a press statement, addressed to person in particular, to the effect that that the election process that produced Pope Francis was flawed. This post election spirit of unity, love, peace and the belief in the divine will of God if not fully observed becomes a fatal flaw that nullifies all the gains and benefits of the leadership lessons enumerated above.

The leaders and Trustees of Methodist Church Nigeria should therefore learn from the Catholic Church in terms of addressing post election controversies and take pro-active steps so that the church does not fall victim of this fatal flaw.

•Onyechere, MFR is the founding chairman, Exam Ethics Marshals International